In International News...

"Fifty Shades is 'changing bedroom habits'"

The Times of India

What's driving independent successful women around the world to a tale of BDSM? Author EL James talks about how her erotic Fifty Shades trilogy is changing bedroom habits In the first of the trilogy, Fifty Shades of Grey, the 21-year-old Anastasia Steele has a fateful meeting with her hero, the uber rich, sinfully sexy entrepreneur Christian Grey. The only catch is that Mr Perfect is a bossy dominant who likes to whip women into submission. Will they have an, er, happy ending?

EL James may have unwittingly tapped into a primitive and primal urge in women around the world to hand over control between the sheets. How else do you explain the runaway success of the racy series that was originally written as Twilight fan fiction? It became a mega success as an e-book and its popularity had publishers and Hollywood studios falling all over themselves to bid for the rights to the "mommy porn". Racing to the top of the bestseller lists, it has become the fastest selling book of the year. That's multiple-orgasms material for publishers.

Fifty Shades... reads like the Twilight of erotica. It will never win awards for its quality of writing but the books are simply and inexplicably addictive. Christian wants to spank, whip, handcuff and do sadistic things to her in his 'playroom'. He wants her to sign a detailed, explicit contract about the rules of a submissive that involve clamps, steel balls, fisting and even how the fuzz down there should be fashioned. And while the flawed side of the irresistible billionaire disturbs her, Ana still has enough orgasms for the entire city. She flutters at his mere touch, her uniquely mobile 'inner goddess' does back flips and they climax on demand. But the trilogy is essentially their love story as they negotiate boundaries that involve domination, bondage, pain as pleasure and absolute submission. Ultimately, despite the explicit scenes, the sex stays in a reassuringly safe area as Ana is given the choice to stop any time she likes.

British author EL James is shocked that her shocking tale has unleashed this tidal wave of interest. Sex shops have reported a boost in sales, bedroom habits around the world are changing, sexperts and feminists are getting their knickers in a twist. The unassuming author says, "I never expected this kind of success. I'm overwhelmed. Women mail me to say that it's a page-turner and they've made their husbands read it. Submissives get in touch and say 'I want to do this'. My time is no longer my own. I'm not used to the attention." She pauses before adding, "I've got e-mails from very young readers from India, which is a bit alarming really." ...